T-6b Enhances Oil Synthesis in Transgenic Arabidopsis

The Agrobacterium tumefaciens T-DNA oncogene T-6b induces the development of tumors in vegetative tissues of transgenic plants, which is related to increases in soluble sugar contents. To verify the potential roles of T-6b in the distribution of carbon in developing seeds, the team of Yunkai Jin and Jia Hu from Hunan Agricultural University in China attached an endosperm-specific promoter to the T-6b gene in transgenic Arabidopsis plants.

The expression of the T-6b oncogene in the reproductive organs did not induce the development of tumors, but promoted endosperm expansion, which increased the total seed biomass by more than 10%. Furthermore, the T-6b gene also increased oil content in mature seeds and decreased the starch and mucilage content.

T-6b enhances seed biomass and helps oil biosynthesis in reproductive organs without disturbing vegetative growth and development. These results suggest that T-6b may be useful for increasing oil production in biodiesel plants.